Door closer



April 2, 1968 R. K. GRAY ET AL DOOR CLOSER Filed Sept. 13, 1965 FIG! INVENTORS. RAYMOND K. GRAY ELBERT M. SPENCER ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent ()fiice 3,375,542 Patented Apr. 2, 1968 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A hydraulic door closer in which a piston is movable between open and closed positions in a cylinder containing hydraulic fluid. A spring urges the piston toward closed position and a valve on the piston permits the free flow of hydraulic fluid through the piston on movement from closed to open positions and controls the flow of hydraulic fluid through the piston on movement from open to closed positions. An orifice member is sli-dably mounted on the rod for movement in relation to the valve means and has a fluid passage in communication with the valve whereby the flow of hydraulic fluid through the passage is controlled when the orifice member is in a position abutting the valve. The orifice member also has a centrally located opening which permits the free flow of hydraulic fluid therethrough at the center of the cylinder when the orifice member is away from the valve means, thereby preventing air accumulated at the top of the cylinder from passing through the central opening of the orifice member. A second valve is provided at the end of the cylinder to slow the movement of the piston during the latter part of the closing stroke thereof.

Background of the invention In the pending application of Elbert M. Spencer, Ser. No. 359,919, assigned to the assignee of this invention, now Patent 3,266,080, is shown a hydraulic piston and cylinder type door closer in which the closing speed may easily be adjusted from the exterior of the door closer by selecting the size of the orifice through which the hydraulic fluid must flow during closing movement of the door. It has been found that in the operation of such a door closer, air will accumulate in the cylinder of the door closer. This accumulation of air is caused by the decrease in volume occupied by the piston rod when the piston rod is retracted from the cylinder, as well as the change in volume caused by changes in temperature. As the door closer in the above application is operated, the air which accumulates at the top of the cylinder is permitted to flow rapidly about the periphery of the piston during the opening of the door but is prevented from so doing during the controlled closing of the door. Thus it can be seen that a pocket of air will accumulate behind the piston at one end of the cylinder. Since the accumulated air will flow through the orifice faster than the hydraulic fluid, the closing door will close rapidly as air goes through the orifice and then stop suddenly as the medium passing through the orifice changes from air to hydraulic fluid. In addition, when the door is released, the air compresses and the door bounces.

Summary of the invention It is a principal object of this invention to provide a hydraulic piston and cylinder type door closer having an improved valve means which prevents the passage of ac cumulated air about the periphery of or through the piston.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a hydraulic piston and cylinder type door closer which is comprised of means for channeling the passage of hydraulic fluid through the piston away from the air accumulation areas within said cylinder.

More particularly this invention relates to a cylinder and piston hydraulic door closer wherein the hydraulic fluid is channeled through the piston at the center of the cylinder to prevent the passage of air, accumulated at the top of the cylinder, from one side of the piston to the other during the movement of said piston from closed to open positions.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a hydraulic piston and cylinder controlled door closer having means to further slow the movement of the piston during the latter part of its closing stroke.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the following drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary section view of a portion of a door closer showing the valve means of this invention and illustrating the position of the several components as the closer is moved to a door closing position;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary section view similar to FIG. 1 and illustrating the position of the several components as the closer is moved to a door opening position; and

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the several individual components of the piston valve means of this invention.

Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 show the elements of this invention in their closing and opening positions respectively. The closer includes a cylinder 20, a rod 21 slidable in the cylinder, a piston shown generally as 22, and a spring 23 normally urging the piston to the closed position in the direction of arrow A.

The cylinder 20 is generally circular and has a hydraulic fluid therein for controlling the movement of the piston within the cylinder. The piston 22 embodies the improved valve means of this invention. The piston is comprised of a plurality of parts including a ratchet 24, a valve disc 25, an orifice member 26, a generally circular O-ring seal member 27, a piston washer 28, and a sleeve 29. The piston is mounted on the rod 21 and operatively slides therewith. The door closer is mounted for operation by pivotally securing the left end of the cylinder, as seen in FIG. 1, to the frame about a hinged door, and by pivotally securing the right end of the rod 21 to the door so that the opening and closing of the door moves the rod 21 and piston 22 within the cylinder 20.

The operation of the piston is such that as the door is swung open, the rod 21 slides to the right, as shown in the drawings, compressing spring 23. The hydraulic fluid to the right of the piston will cause the piston washer 28, seal ring 27 and orifice member 26 to slide to the left to permit hydraulic fluid to flow freely around the outer peripheries of the ratchet 24 and valve member 25 and through the center openings of the orifice member and piston washer (as described in detail later). The seal ring 27 prevents the flow of fluid or accumulated air around the outer peripheries of the orifice member and the piston washer. The central location of the openings through the orifice member and piston washer allows the heavier hydraulic fluid to flow therethrough, but the openings are below the level of the lighter air accumulated at the top of the cylinder and prevent the passage of the air through the central openings.

Describing the structure in greater detail, the end of rod 21 is riveted over at 31, securing the sleeve 29, FIG. 1. The sleeve has a cylindrical main body portion 32 through which the end of the rod extends and which forms a bushing for the sliding piston washer 2-8 and orifice member 26. A plurality of tabs or teeth 33, FIG. 3, are provided at the inner end of the sleeve as a stop means for the sliding piston washer and orifice member during the opening of the door.

The piston washer 28 is a generally cup-shaped disc slidably mounted on the sleeve 29. The washer has a central bore 34, FIG. 3, sufliciently larger than the outer diameter of the sleeve to facilitate free flow of hydraulic fluid therethrough during the opening of the door.

The orifice member 26 is a flat disc having a square opening 35 at the center thereof for slidably mounting the washer on the sleeve. The square opening facilitates the free flow of hydraulic fluid therethrough on opening of the door. The periphery of the orifice disc is provided with a pair of opposed inwardly facing arms 36 which extend away from the Washer 28 generally perpendicular to the face of the orifice member and parallel to the axis of the cylinder. The face of the orifice disc is provided with a plurality of different size orifice passages 37 disposed in a ring concentric to the rod 21.

Positioned between the orifice disc and the piston washer is an O-ring seal 27 which prevents the flow of hydraulic fluid and accumulated air between the outer peripheries of either the piston washer or the orifice member and the inner wall of the cylinder. Thus hydraulic fluid is forced to pass through the central openings 34 and 35 in the piston washer and orifice member respectively during opening of the door.

Positioned about the stud end of the rod and inwardly of the washer and orifice disc is the valve disc 25. The valve disc has a single elongated arcuate slot 38 located on a radius which is in concentric alignment with the several orifice passages 37 on the orifice member 26. The valve disc is further provided with a ratchet surface 39 affording an indexing means for assuring alignment of one of the openings 37 with the slot 38 to provide a fluid passage through the orifice member and the valve disc.

Spaced inwardly from the valve disc is ratchet disc 24, which has a ratchet surface 39 opposing the ratchet surface of the valve disc. The ratchet disc has an inner diameter which is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the rod so that the rod may rotate relative to the ratchet disc. Opposed notches 41 are provided in the periphery of the ratchet disc for receiving the arms 36 of the orifice disc. The notches are slightly larger than the cross sectional dimensions of the arms to permit free flow of hydraulic fluid through the ratchet disc to the opposite side of the piston. The face of the ratchet disc opposite theratchet surface is provided with a pair of outwardly projecting spaced studs 42. The free end of the spring 23 is held between these studs. The purpose and functioning of the ratchet can be seen in the pending application Ser. No. 359,919, referred to above.

On opening the door, the hydraulic fluid on the right side of the piston will flow freely through the notches 41 of ratchet disc 24, around the periphery of the valve disc, and through the centers of the orifice member and piston washer which have been forced to the left against the teeth 33 of the sleeve 29. During the controlled closure of the door, the compressed hydraulic fluid on the left side of the piston will flow through the enlarged central opening 34 in the piston washer (which has now been forced to the right along with the orifice member). Since the orifice member is forced by the fluid to bear against the valve disc, the central square opening 38 of the orifice member is blocked and the fluid must flow through a selected orifice passage 37, through the arcuate slot 38 in the valve disc and back through the notches in the ratchet disc. The seal ring 27 blocks any passage between the piston and the inner wall of the cylinder. Air in the cylinder above the hydraulic fluid will accumulate and its passage across the piston means is prevented by causing the fluid to flow through the openings 34, 37 and 38 at the center of the cylinder.

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the closer includes a means to control the closing movement of the door by providing an additional valve means which further slows the flow of hydraulic fluid during the last few inches of door movement. This means includes a check valve 43, a spring.

44 normally urging the check valve against the closing motion of the piston, and a stop limit rod 45. The check valve is in the form of a generally cup-shaped disc having i an orifice 46 through the center thereof. The stop limit rod is secured to the end wallof the cylinder 20 and 1 protrudes a predetermined distance therefrom generally. along the central axis of the cylinder. As the door closes and the piston rod comes in contact with the check valve, the fluid accumulated to the left of the check valve is compressed and forced through the central orifice 46. The central orifice 46 of the check valve 43 is smaller than the fluid passages 37 through the orifice member 26 so that a further slowing of the door motion is achieved. The stop limit rod limitsmovement of the piston to the left so that a suflicient reservoir is maintained behind the check valve. A certain amount of air is trapped behind check valve 43 and occupies the upper portion of the space at the end of the cylinder. If check valve 43 were permitted to travel to the end of the, cylinder, some .of the air would escape through orifice 46, causing the closer piston and the door to jump. The stop limit rod prevents this from happening.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, for some modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

We claim:

1. A hydraulic door closer, comprising: a cylinder having hydraulic fluid therein; a rod movable in said cylinder between open and closed positions; a piston on said rod including a valve means mounted on said rod; an orifice member slidably mounted on said rod for movement in relation to said valve means between a position abutting said valve means on movement of said rod from open to closed positions and a position away from said valve means on movement of said rod from closed to open positions, said orifice member having a fluid passage in communication with said valve means to provide controlled flow of hydraulic fluid therethrough when said orifice member abuts said valve means, said orifice member also having a centrally located opening to permit the free flow of hydraulic fluid therethrough when said orifice member is away from said valve means; and means for sealing said orifice member with the inner wall of said cylinder, said sealing means taking the form of a disc-shaped plate movable on said rod with said orifice member and an O- ring between said plate and said orifice member for sealing said plate and said orifice member with the inner wall of said cylinder.

2. The hydraulic door closer of. claim 1 wherein said disc-shaped plate is provided with a centrally located Opening to permit the free flow of hydraulic, fluid therethrough.

3. A hydraulic door closer, comprising: a cylinder having a hydraulic fluid therein; a rod movable in said ,cylinder between open and closed positions of said door; a piston on said rod including a valve disc mounted on said rod having a substantially smaller outer diameter than the inner wall of said cylinder and having a fluid passage therethrough; a spring in said cylinder urging said piston toward closed position; an orifice member slidably mounted on said rod for movement in relation to said valve means between a position abutting said valve means on movement of said rod from open to closedpositions and a position away from said valve means on movement of said rod from closed to open positions, said orifice member having a fluid passage in communication with said valve means to provide controlled flow of hydraulic fluid I therethrough when said orifice member abuts said valve means, said orifice member also having a centrally 10 cated opening to permit the free flow of hydraulic fluid therethrough when said orifice member is away from said valve means; an O-ring seal slidable with said orifice.

member adjacent the outer'periphery thereof to seal said orifice member and the inner wall of said cylinder; 21

piston washer slidable with said orifice member and said seal ring to retain said seal against said orifice member and having a centrally located opening to permit the free flow of hydraulic fluid therethrough; and stop means for limiting the movement of said orifice member, said seal ring and said piston Washer away from said valve disc during the opening of said door.

4. A hydraulic door closer, comprising: a cylinder having hydraulic fluid therein; a rod movable in said cylinder between open and closed positions of said door; a piston on said rod; a valve means at the closing end of said cylinder to slow the movement of said piston during the latter part of the closing stroke thereof, said valve means taking the form of a disc slidably mounted in the cylinder, having substantially the same diameter as the inner wall of said cylinder and having an orifice to meter the flow of hydraulic fluid therethrough; and a spring between the end of the cylinder and the disc urging said disc against the closing movement of said piston, movement of the piston following engagement with the disc being limited by the flow of hydraulic fluid through said orifice and the action of said coil spring.

5. The hydraulic door closer of claim 4 including a stop limit means for said disc at the closure end of said cylinder between said disc and the end wall of said cylinder to maintain a minimum reservoir of hydraulic fluid between said disc and the end wall of said cylinder.

6. The hydraulic door of claim 5 wherein said stop limit means is a rod secured to the end wall of said cylinder and extending generally along the longitudinal axis thereof.

7. A hydraulic door closer, comprising: a cylinder having hydraulic fluid therein; a piston movable in said cylinder between open and closed positions; a spring urging said piston toward closed position; valve means on said piston permitting free flow of hydraulic fluid through the piston on movement from closed to open positions and controlling the flow of hydraulic fluid through said piston on movement from open to closed positions; and means causing the fluid to flow through the piston at the center of the cylinder during movement from closed to open positions, including a pair of generally disc shaped plates movable on said rod and an O-ring between said plates generally about the outer periphery thereof for sealing said plates with the inner wall of said cylinder.

8. A hydraulic door closer, comprising: a cylinder having hydraulic fluid therein; a rod movable in said cylinder between open and closed positions; a piston on said rod including a valve means mounted on said rod; an orifice member slidably mounted on said rod for movement in relation to said valve means between a position abutting said valve means on movement of said rod from open to closed positions and a position away from said valve means on movement of said rod from closed to open positions, said orifice member having a fluid passage in communication with said valve means to provide controlled flow of hydraulic fluid therethrough when said orifice member abuts said valve means, said orifice member also having a centrally located opening to permit the free flow of hydraulic fluid therethrough when said orifice member is away from said valve means; a generally O-ring seal adjacent the periphery of said orifice member slidable with said orifice member in said cylinder; and a piston washer slidable with said orifice member and said ring seal to retain said seal against said orifice member, said piston washer permitting the free flow of hydraulic fluid therethrough.

9. The hydraulic door closer of claim 8 including a stop means for limiting the movement of said orifice member, said seal ring and said piston Washer away from said valve means during the opening of said door.

10. In a hydraulic door closer having a cylinder With hydraulic fluid therein, a piston rod movable in the cylinder between door open and door closed positions, and a spring urging the piston rod toward door closed position, the improvement comprising a piston including a check valve with a plate axially fixed on the rod, a pair of plates slidable on the rod, and a stop for said slidable plates spaced from the fixed plate, the pair of plates having central apertures receiving the rod and permitting flow therethrough and a sealing ring between the slidable plates, sealing with the plates and with the cylinder wall, said slid-able plates moving away from the fixed plate on opening movement, hydraulic fluid flowing through the central apertures at the center of the cylinder, to prevent the passage of air from the upper portion of the cylinder.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,078,499 2/1963 Gray et al. 16-52 3,079,629 3/1963 Millard et al 16-52 3,182,349 5/1965 Sogoian 16-52 1,211,272 1/1917 Anderson 188-88 2,770,003 11/1956 Comey et al 16-66 X 2,949,625 8/1960 Guyer 16-52 2,953,810 9/1960 Hall 16-52 FOREIGN PATENTS 519,068 3/1955 Italy. 1,125,319 7/1956 France.

BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner. 

